Business of Sport

Alexis Ohanian is back! Having joined us a couple of years ago to talk about Angel City and his broader sporting investment adventures, the time has come to dive back in with one of the most active (and successful) investors in women’s sport. In London for Athlos, the female only athletics competition he set up to both invest more and create ownership opportunities for the talent in the sport, Alexis not only took me through why he believes there is so much untapped opportunity in women’s sport, but how you can unlock it.
Founder of Reddit, NWSL owner, IP creator, Chelsea Women co-owner, TGL golf franchise owner, sports tech investor, husband of Serena Williams; if you’re going to sit down and talk this through with someone, there are few better candidates. I’m delighted to welcome Alexis back to the Business of Sport.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Airwallex
The intelligent financial platform for global businesses
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Gemini
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠⁠

In a week that has seen a bucket load of big sporting events and an equal amount of controversy, you won't be surprised to find out there is some heat in this show. The Ultimate Athletics Championships and Solheim Cup both delivered some serious entertainment over the weekend, emphasising the strength of women’s golf and proof that existing federations can create new IP and make it work. It’s also about time we check in on regular pod appearance maker Mr Infantino and his quest for survival. There is then of course the Sydney Sweeney drama, but the big one we want to grapple with this week is what on earth has happened to Nike, as they come to terms with dropping out of the S&P100 and a valuation drop of over $200bn in just a few years. All of that and we have ourselves a breakdown.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlie@20vc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Fanbase
⁠https://app.fanbaseclub.com/⁠

TransferRoom
⁠https://www.transferroom.com/⁠

GIS
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gis.sport/BoS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to our Substack for bonus content:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@businessofsport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at
⁠bos@20vc.com

Maarten Paes plays for Ajax and the Indonesian national team as a goalkeeper, at least that is what most of the bios will say. What they won’t tell you is that alongside his career as a professional footballer, he is also building a career in business and investment, and the approach he has taken to making himself more than his performance on the pitch is a story we had to cover on the show.
There is a shifting attitude in dressing rooms that, in Maarten’s own words, is moving away from the macho discussions on who has the best car or most expensive watch to what they’re up to away from the game. We have discussed it at length on previous shows with the likes of Petr Cech, Pat Cummins, Matt Smith, Bryan Habana, but everyone’s approach is different. Maarten’s football career alongside this ambition is equally interesting; he spent four years in the MLS with Dallas and has qualified to play for the Indonesian National Team through his grandmother. Put it all together and we have another great example of a top sportsperson with a bucket load more to offer. We’re delighted to welcome Maarten to the Business of Sport.

Maarten's Favourite Books:
Ryan Holiday - Ego is the Enemy
Ryan Holiday - Obstacle is the Way
Chris Bosh - Letters to a Young Athlete
Robin Sharma - the Wealth Money can't buy
Atomic Habits - James Clear

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Airwallex
The intelligent financial platform for global businesses
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Gemini
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠⁠

We came into this week thinking not a lot had been happening. We got that wrong. LIV finally filed for bankruptcy, Kevin Pietersen made a miracle return to the England set up, the Champions League kicked off with an absolute treasure chest of cash to distribute to the participants, The NFL season begins which includes the first ever game in Australia…oh and Charlie fills us in on developments in the horse racing world. If that isn’t enough for you, we then move to substack to take a look at the sponsorship market in the Premier League as Liverpool announce a £60m a year deal with Turkish Airlines. All of that comes together to create another packed week of Breakdown content!

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlie@20vc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Fanbase
https://app.fanbaseclub.com/

TransferRoom
https://www.transferroom.com/

GIS
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gis.sport/BoS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to our Substack for bonus content:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@businessofsport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at
bos@20vc.com

Athlete stories and their journeys beyond sport are a big part of this show. James Haskell is one of the most famous rugby players of the last 20 years, and much of that fame comes from the character he presents and profile he has alongside rugby. As you would expect, there is no filter applied to this chat. This is the real James, who came in ready to talk about rugby and the broader state of the game, alongside his work in the media, music, public eye, and so on. The big question is, and it’s one that James brings up a few times, if you want to punch him in the face at the start of the chat, will you still want to do so at the end of it? I’ve seen a lot of his content and followed his career from the beginning; I think this is a genuine insight into who he is, how he operates, and how he has built a profile coming from a sport than can often discourage them. We’re delighted to welcome James to the Business of Sport

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Airwallex
The intelligent financial platform for global businesses
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Gemini
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠⁠